News & Rumors Round Up

Music Hall redevelopment — Third + Shoal — set for September construction start

News that the Austin Music Hall was going to be obliterated to make way for a 30-story office tower with ground floor retail and onsite parking made a huge splash in 2015.

Third + Shoal massing outline

In March permits were filed for site demolition to begin, and Austin Towers’ sources have indicated that construction on Third + Shoal is expected to be underway this September 2016, with a September 2019 completion target.

48 East set for December groundbreaking

The 48 East, a 35-story 31-story apartment building that will be built around the corner from SkyHouse Austin, is showing signs of life after an unexpected lull in activity.

Rendering by Land Development & Construction and STG Design

We’ve got word that the development team has made progress with city planners, and construction is now anticipated to start this December and wrap at the end of 2019! Not holding my breath, but nice to see projects of this size creep forward.

48 East – elevation

Along with 70 Rainey, which is being site-prepped for construction, this tower will be a remarkable addition to the eastern edge of the Austin skyline.

Hotel Zaza site offers smoke, but no fire (yet)

It’s been almost two years since Hotel Zaza — near Republic Square Park on West Fourth Street, between Guadalupe and Lavaca — broke ground. However, since then there has been a conspicuous void of activity. Downtown observer have recently seen earth movers fire up on site, getting some to speculate the project will be up and at ‘em soon.

Even the Hotel Zaza corporate site is void of information, leaving some to speculate that this project is on hiatus. However, city planners are evidently still trading paperwork with the developers which indicates that the project is indeed on the forward path.

Boutique hotel planned at Barton Springs & S. Lamar

A juicy piece of property near Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard is being repositioned as a 90-bed boutique hotel, to be called The Carpenter.

The Carpenter

The site, formerly housing the Carpenters Union Hall, was offered for sale on a sealed bid basis in 2013 and sold that year for an untold amount to AMS Real Estate Services Inc. According to stories at the time of the sale, the site’s development potential is severely hampered by tree protection ordinances.

Where there’s a buck to be made, there is a way, as proof that a new 4-story, 16,000-square-foot building being planned on-site, but still no details about the purse strings behind the new hotel.